Prophetic Prospective Daily Devotional

This passage in Luke 17 is another of those conversations that Jesus had with His disciples and one of the times when He would be teaching them prophecy. In this message the Lord uses some of the same information as used either before, or that he would use later in His teachings.

Notice verse 26, where our Lord speaks of the "Days of Noah" as He will, chronologically, later, in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. By the way, the last of this chapter helps to explain about those who were "taken" in these prophetic passages in Matthew, Mark and Luke.

In verses 34-36 Dr Luke records the words of Jesus about those who would be "taken". If you don't understand that in this passage Jesus is speaking of His Second Coming, and not the Rapture, you will get mixed up eschatologically.

At the Rapture those who are Christians will be "taken" into the heavenlies to join Jesus, forever. However, when a passage is referring to the Second Coming the ones "taken" are the ones who go to "judgment" and the ones "left" will "rule and reign" with Christ in His Kingdom to come.

To better understand this principle Jesus gives us the last verse in Luke 17. When asked where the people would be "taken" the Lord said, to "where the eagles be gathered together", verse 37.

In that context, you may want to read Job 39:27-30 which explains that where the "eagles gather together is a place of judgment". Therefore, those "taken" in Matthew 24, Mark 13,Luke 17 and 21 are all taken to judgment.

The ones "left" are the ones who will join Jesus to rule and reign. At the Rapture, a different event from the Second Coming, separated by at least seven years, the ones "taken" are the Christians.

Before we leave this passage, notice verse 28. The Lord had mentioned the "Days of Noah" which took place 4,500 years ago. In His mention of the "Days of Lot", these days were 4,000 years ago, days after the worldwide flood.

Interestingly, the "Days of Noah" were days when angels, the "sons of God" had a sexual relationship with the "daughters of men", Genesis 6:1-4 and Jude 6 and 7 .

The "days of Lot" also referred to the Jude passage, which was a time when the people, "gave themselves over to fornication", at Sodom and Gomorrah. Today it is referred to as homosexuality. I prefer the Biblical terminology, "sodomy", men, sexually with men and woman sexually with woman.

Because of this "sodomy" God destroyed the civilization of Sodom and Gomorrah. Today "sodomy" is allowed throughout all of society by educational, governmental and even religious leaders.

God does not hate "sodomites", the person, but "sodomy", the act. Jesus said when you see this type of "un-Godly sexual behavior" and see it as very prevalent in our society, that is a time when He could return to the earth.

We are living in those days. Jesus is coming and it could be in the "days" like the "days of Lot". Keep looking up!